Retailers are beginning to tap into the smells that are most likely to connect consumers to memories of the holiday season. And it could be one of the triggers that leads us to overspend, Lindstrom says.

By simulating the aroma of fresh cinnamon and pine, stores are partly responsible for sparking that feeling of "Christmas in the air" – even if it's nowhere near time for eggnog and cookies.

"It was a perfectly normal kind of day when I was first struck by that feeling of Christmas in the air, the one that links directly to childhood anticipation of the festive season," he says. "The odd thing was that it was early November, yet my need for tangible symbols of the festive season had bitten like a bug."

Much has been written about how Disneyland pumps the smell of fresh baked cookies into the air at one of its attractions to lure in customers. And from the way some supermarkets are pushing festive fragrances to the front of stores, it shows they might be taking a cue from Mickey.

As Lindstrom points out, Trader Joe's and Publix are both positioning cinnamon-scented brooms near the checkout aisle.

And there could be truth to his theory.

"Scent marketing is the latest frontier in an advertising landscape that has nearly exhausted the possibilities of auditory and visual marketing," writes Sarah Dowdey of HowStuffWorks.

"The retailers, hotels and restaurants that contract with scent companies hope that distinctive, carefully considered smells will help amplify consumer spending, attract customers and create memorable brands."

For anyone who can't get into the holiday spirit before coffee shops start brewing lattes infused with egg nog, gingerbread and other winter aromas, the idea doesn't seem that far-fetched.

Whether aromas actually make you looser with your wallet has yet to be thoroughly researched, but Lindstrom sites an English study that showed the scent of cinnamon fired up strong emotional responses in volunteers.